Mad Season
by AngelofMusic13
Summary: 140 characters from various animeRPG series experience the trials and adventures of marching band. Most of the chapters underwent a bit of changing. Warning: Tons of mm slash, Shounen ai Read
1. Just Think of Tomorrow

Mad Season

A/N: There are characters from 28 anime and video game series. Marching bands (especially Division I which this band is) tend to be large, so a lot of characters are used. Not all characters though. My friends and I match up each character (er… most, there were spots that needed to be filled) with an instrument and grade that we saw appropriate. Some, I'll admit, are off (scratch that, most are off age wise). I changed a lot of ages to fit them into high school. Instruments that don't seem to fit (those I thought were in the low brass section) are done for a purpose. A band cannot have an over abundance of one particular instrument (say, flute/piccolo). There will be a lot of shounen ai pairing, if you have a problem with it, DON'T READ it then flame. (Honestly, you have to feel bad for most of the females in the ;) Oh, any psychic abilities, inhuman traits, etc. that the characters normally have will be left in the fic. Metal arms are gone; those would be hard to play an instrument with. For the most part I will be sticking with first names so it won't get too confusing.

This fic is duel written. In my chapters A/N will be replaced by "AoM" and my friend's chapters will say "GoE." Obviously the writing styles will be different too. (The better one being GoE)

Most of this is based off how our marching band is (not the characters, just what's going on and such).

Story title is from Matchbox 20

Diclaimer: I don't own any of the characters. They're owned by their respective artist, company, whatever. If I owned them… apparently I'd make a marching band out of them (wow, I'm such a band geek )

This chapter is basically an introduction to some of the people (mostly freshman) who will be in the fic.

Chapter I: Just Think of Tomorrow

Eighth grade was coming to a close. All the students who were entering high school in the following year were frantically trying to complete their registration sheets. Kaname Hagiri impatiently tapped his pencil on his desk. He was already done with his because he knew what he wanted to take. He allowed his violet eyes to wander over to his friend's sheet. There was one slot left open and the blonde boy seemed to be stuck.

"You should take band," Kaname said indifferently.

Kiyoshi Mitarai smiled. Though it appeared that he didn't care, he had been trying for the past two years to get Kiyoshi into band.

"I don't know how to play an instrument. Besides, I wouldn't know what to choose."

"So? You could just ask the band director. She would find an instrument for you. Besides, it's not like you have any other ideas."

Kiyoshi pondered this for a bit. Neither of the boys had many friends so maybe sticking together would be for the best.

"…Okay," Kiyoshi said hesitantly.

Kaname allowed a small smile to grace his face. Kiyoshi inwardly grinned at this.

'He's so cute,' Kiyoshi thought to himself. He had had a crush on his friend since they met two years ago. He was afraid to say anything though because he didn't want to jeopardize their friendship. Friendship was not something that came to Kiyoshi easily. In fact, he was constantly picked on. Kaname always stood up for him which not only got Kiyoshi into trouble, but Kaname as well. He was grateful for his friend. Kaname could fight well too. Fighting was just something Kiyoshi was never good at.

The bell rang, stirring Kiyoshi from his thoughts. He walked up to the teacher's desk and placed his registration sheet down.

'No going back now,' he thought as he left the building with Kaname. 'Maybe band will be fun. Besides I'll be with Kaname. Next year will be interesting.'

"Syaoran!"

Syaoran Li turned to the voice that was calling him. Sakura Kinomoto ran towards him excitedly.

"We'll be going to high school in a few months. We'll be going to the same school and Touya and Yuki!" she exclaimed.

"Aren't they in band?" he asked.

"Yeah! We'll be in marching band with them for the first semester!"

"Sakura, are you joining color guard?" Tomoyo Daidouji questioned.

"Yup!"

"Just don't hit yourself on the head too many times," Syaoran joked.

"Hey! I haven't done that in a while now!" Syaoran and Tomoyo laughed.

"Well, I'm excited for next year," Sakura said, changing the topic. "Ah! I'm late! I'm supposed to make dinner tonight! See you guys later," she kissed Syaoran on the cheek and sprinted home.

"I need to call Eriol. So I guess I'll be off too," Tomoyo said.

"Is he joining band?" Syaoran asked before she had the chance to leave.

"No," she sighed, "he didn't have enough classes open. Bye!"

"All of you are staying in band, right?" brown eyes skimmed the table.

It was lunch time. A group of band geeks claimed that table as their own. They were all in eighth grade and ready to step up to high school.

"Hell, yeah!" Relm Arrowny cheered.

Wide eyes turned in her direction.

Relm blushed. "Heh, sorry. I'm just excited," she explained sheepishly.

"Is everyone else?" Rinoa Heartilly asked again.

Colette Brunel smiled and nodded. Glenn nodded then went back to his food.

"Yes," Teepo responded.

Trunks Briefs, Goten Son, Shizuka Jounouchi, Cless Alvein, Lloyd Irving, Lena Tycoon, Yuffie Kisaragi, Tifa Lockhart, Ascot, and Shippou did the same except with their own variation of the affirmative.

Rinoa smiled, "We'll get to see people we know again. I haven't seen Squall in almost a year." She still had a crush on him, though he clearly wasn't interested. She turned to Palom, Porom, Gau, and Genis Sage, the only non-band members at the table.

"Are you guys going to join band? Or are you going to stay being our groupies?" she teased.

"Heh, well our schedules won't fit it. Besides, I can't speak for all of us, but I enjoy being a groupie," Genis replied smiling. The others nodded in agreement.

Relm shook her head, "But it's so fun!"

"Yeah, Genis! It would be a good break from studying."

"You need to study more Lloyd."

The bell rang, cutting off Lloyd and signaling the end of lunch. It wouldn't be too long until summer break finally began.

Hatsuharu and Momiji Sohma walked with Aki and Aya Mikage. They were going to a movie before heading home. They were relieved that the year was over. It seemed like it would never end. Of course, band and lunch had been the highlight of each day, but once those were over it all went down hill. Not really grade wise, though their grades could have been higher had they paid attention, but the classes were so boring.

Haru stretched, "I can't believe it's finally over."

"How'd you do on your finals," Aya asked him.

"I think I did okay…" Haru hoped he did well, he studied with Momiji before finals.

"I can't wait for band to start," Momiji suddenly said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Why?"

"Because then I can see Tohru," Momiji grinned.

"Here we are," Aki stated as they reached the movie theater.

"You are taking band next year, right?"

"Of course! Winry is too" Edward Elric exclaimed crossing his arms over his chest.

"You are aware that oboes don't march."

"Yeah, I was planning on trying the clarinet," the blonde said thoughtfully.

"Yeah, you probably need a small instrument so you won't get smashed," Roy Mustang teased Ed, a smirk appearing on his face.

"Who are you calling so small they would fit inside a piccolo!" Ed was now on his feet glaring at the older boy in front of him. Roy chuckled, causing Ed's glare to intensify. "I'll show you! I'll play the largest instrument I can find." With that Ed stomped away and Roy could no longer hold back his laughter.

"Did you come to see our last concert?" a girl with purple hair asked. "I can't wait until you guys join next year!"

"Yeah, you guys did awesome! It took awhile, but I found you in the middle, Angela," Shuichi Shindou told his friend. "You're joining, right Hiro?"

"Huh? Oh, no. I don't feel like learning a new instrument. I'm happy with my guitar." Hiroshi Nakano responded snapping out of his reverie.

Angela looked crestfallen, but Hiro didn't change his mind. "Don't worry I'll be a groupie… and if you ever need a guitar I'll be more than happy to fill the position."

The summer passed quickly because that's how it is for most people. Who really wants to go back to school? The end of summer signified the beginning of marching band. This actually started a few weeks before school.

AoM: That was a boring chapter to write. It will get better though. Dang, last names are annoying to look up.

Don't know all the animes/games? Here's a list of the ones used in this chapter in order of appearance:  
Yu Yu Hakusho, Cardcaptor Sakura, Final Fantasy VIII, Final Fantasy VI, Tales of Symphonia, Chrono Cross (don't worry Glenn from CT will come in), Breath of Fire 3, Dragonball Z, Yu-Gi-Oh, Tales of Phantasia, Final Fantasy V, Final Fantasy VII, Inu-Yasha, Fruits Basket, Ayashi no Ceres, Fullmetal Alchemist, Seiken Densetsu III, Gravitation

Chapter Title is from Irresponsible Captain Tylor


	2. Burn! Bobonga!

AoM: Okay, second chapter. Skipping through summer because it's not important. This will take place a few weeks before school starts. Since there are so many characters, introductions may take awhile ;

Chapter II: Burn! Bobonga!

It was three weeks before school was to start. An older woman with faded pink hair sat at her desk making last minute preparations. About a month before she had sent out over 130 envelopes to new and former band members, allowing them to know the schedule. It was the first day of sectionals. She would be reacquainted with last year's members and would meet new ones. It wouldn't be every new member, just a few. It was only percussion sectionals that were meeting today. She didn't want to scare anyone away but she didn't want to come off totally false either. Going easy the first day seemed like the best option. She wouldn't really be teaching the percussion section anyway. There were three instructors that had been hired to do that, two for the Drumline and one for Frontline.

Bang, bang! She stopped working to unlock the doors. The instructors were arriving.

"Good afternoon, Ms.Genkai," Prometheus greeted with a bow. "The others will be arriving shortly."

"Hello. The students will be here in about half an hour. The section leaders, I'm guessing, will be here in ten to fifteen minutes."

"Hey Genkai!"

Genkai glanced over to see a tall blue haired man followed by a blonde.

"Dekar, Guy," she nodded towards them. "You can get the equipment ready now."

The three nodded and headed inside with Genkai trailing behind them. She let them get to work as she headed back to her office to finish up her work. Time must have passed quickly because it wasn't too long before she heard Dekar call out and talk enthusiastically to someone who wasn't Guy or Prometheus.

"…new drum set." That was all she needed to hear to realize her section leaders were starting to show. Dekar must have been talking to Kain Highwind. He was a very talented percussionist with striking blue eyes and medium length blonde hair that was pulled back into a ponytail. He was the Drumline section leader and the center snare. Next to him was Mog. Sure Mog wasn't human, but how many in the band actually were? Mog was a dancer. Why he joined percussion instead of color guard was unknown. Mog was the section leader of the Cymbal Line. The last section leader to arrive was Lucca. Lucca was incredibly smart and could fix things at the drop of a hat. She had shoulder length lavender hair, blue eyes, and huge glasses. She was Frontline's section leader. Everyone quickly got reacquainted and discussed their summer's activities.

One by one more and more people showed up. In total, there were 25 percussionist (not including instructors).

"Okay, I'm Genkai, your band director. These two are the Drumline instructors, Dekar and Guy. The robot, Prometheus, is the Frontline instructor. The show this year is from Lord of the Rings. The opener is "The Black Rider." Let's quickly get through with introductions since I know most of you know each other. State your name, grade, instrument."

"I'm Kain Highwind, senior, snare, Drumline section leader," he said quickly. The other section leaders did the same, allowing the freshman to know who to go to if they had any questions.

The other snares went as followed: Crono (11), Yusuke Urameshi (10), Umi Ryuuzaki (10), Zelos Wilder (10), Tifa Lockheart (9). The tenors: Sephiroth (12), Serge (11), Sesshoumaru (12). The basses (in order): Faris Scherwiz (10), Suboshi (10), Ayla (12), Sanosuke Sagara (11), Kazuma Kuwabara (10). Cymbal Line: Mog (12), Katsuya Jounouchi (10), Rei (11), Duran (12). Marimba: Lucca (11), Touya (12). Vibes: Rosa Farrell (10). Glockenspiel and chimes: Nataku (9). Timpani: Aoshi Shinomori (12). Xylophone: Shippou (9), Aki (9).

"Good, now that that's done I suggest you get started on the music. It will need to be memorized in a few weeks. Oh, and Slacker, I suggest you actually working or else I will take you off snare."

"Hey, Grandma! I worked to get on this and you're not taking it away from me!" Yusuke yelled back.

Genkai shrugged and walked back into her office.

"Kupo!" Mog randomly cheered.

Lucca glanced over at Serge, who was adjusting his harness, and sighed. He was so much like Crono. Before Lucca had a huge crush on Crono, but those feelings slowly drifted over to Serge sometime after meeting him. Serge, like Crono, seldom talked but still managed to be a great leader and save the world. She was snapped out of her reverie as Prometheus began to start the practice. She took a quick look over at the freshman. They seemed to be doing fine. Inwardly Lucca was relieved about this. Acquiring freshmen that knew what they were doing was a treat. Still, she knew she would have to watch them to make sure.

The two hours of practice seemed to fly by. At the end all of the percussionists were putting their instruments away and gathering their stuff so they could go home. There was still time to soak in what was left of summer vacation.

"Shoot!" Tifa yelled. All the eyes in the room cast towards her direction.

"What's wrong?" Umi asked worriedly.

"I don't have a ride home."

"I could give you one," Kain volunteered.

Tifa's eyes widened and she quickly nodded. She didn't have a chance before to notice how handsome the center snare was.

'What luck,' she thought with a smile adorning her face. She jogged a bit to catch up with Kain and Aoshi (who was also hitching a ride with the blonde). It wasn't a lot trip to the car and everyone got settled in. By no means was Tifa a shy person, so she decided to talk to the object-of-her-affection-for-the-past-five-minutes.

"Kain, do you have girlfriend?"

Kain's eyes slightly widened in surprised, but they quickly turned into a glare as he heard Aoshi chuckle next to him.

"…No, I do not have a girlfriend…" Kain said slowly.

For the second time that day, Tifa's eyes widened. She could make a move on him then.

"Kain? Girlfriend?" Aoshi laughed, "He has a boyfriend!"

A light blush stained Kain's tanned cheeks, causing Aoshi to laugh harder. It was just Kain's luck that Aoshi had to be uncharacteristically talkative and cheerful. Tifa felt her hopes being obliterated. She sighed. He was the second person that she liked that turned out to be gay.

"Sorry…" Kain apologized, not really knowing what to do.

"It's alright. It's not the first time this has happened to me. Who is he?" she asked, giving into her curiosity.

"His name is Cecil. He plays the trumpet."

Tifa smiled and directed Kain to her house after they had let Aoshi out.

AoM: Bah! Introductions are so boring. I wasn't going to go through all those introductions, so I just listed them off name and grade. That's what I get for using so many characters though, ne?

Series in order of appearance in this chapter:

Yu Yu Hakusho, Chrono Trigger, Lufia 2, Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy VI, Magic Knight Rayearth, Tales of Symphonia, Final Fantasy VII, Chrono Cross, Inu-Yasha, Final Fantasy V, Fushigi Yuugi, Rurouni Kenshin, Yu-Gi-Oh, Breath of Fire 3, Seiken Densetsu 3, Cardcaptor Sakura, X, Ayashi no Ceres

Chapter Title from Chrono Trigger OSV


	3. New World

AoM: The point of this chapter and the last was to introduce the characters... a lot of characters. I'll make this the last chapter of that because I know it's boring. Oh wait, no I won't. There's still guard, so one more chapter after this. Maybe it's interesting to know who's appearing in it but overall, it's boring. Things will actually be happening later (yay!). If there are any last names I didn't get please tell me and I'll correct it.

Chapter III: New World

Two days after the first percussion sectional was the sectional for woodwinds and brass. They would be split up eventually, but Genkai was hoping for some conversions. You could never have too much low brass a/n: this is not the author's opinion. Everyone was there. The freshmen were huddled in a corner not knowing what to do or expect. The upper classmen were chattering away about their summers.

Sango was talking with Aerith when she felt a hand grope her.

"MIROKU!" she screamed slapping him on his cheek.

Miroku smiled rubbed the handprint that was left after the slap.

"You agreed to go out with me," he pointed out.

"That doesn't me you can grope me as you please!"

Miroku sighed, "Fine, fine."

Sango left in a huff to talk to other people. Both knew it wasn't true, he would do it again, and he always did. But for some reason Sango still loved him. That was why she finally agreed after numerous attempts to be his girlfriend.

"Heh, Miroku, now that you have her maybe you should stop doing that," Irvine advised Miroku.

Irvine, Miroku, Edgar, Sorata and Zelos were close friends. Mostly because of their similar personalities and how much they flirted with women (didn't mean all of them were interested though). All were huge flirts. For Irvine to say something like that to Miroku must have meant he really did mean it. Miroku let out another sigh knowing they were right. He felt lucky to have Sango. She was gorgeous and had a great personality… when she wasn't slapping him for one reason or another.

"You play alto sax!" a yell was heard across the room.

"Ed, calm down."

"You were making fun of me playing a small instrument and you play one yourself?"

Roy shrugged, "I'm surprised you didn't already know what I play… what did you decide on playing anyway?"

"The tuba."

Roy laughed, "You'll get crushed by sousaphone! Maybe you should have stuck with your original idea of playing the clarinet."

"Who are you calling small!" Ed fumed.

"Ed, be quiet. We're starting." Ed crossed his arms over his chest and pouted, but did remain silent.

"Okay, let's start. I'm Genkai the band teacher. You'll be stuck with me for the rest of the year. We'll split up into sections so you can all get to know each other. Flutes and piccolos you're over there… (and so on)," Genkai announced.

Kiyoshi timidly walked over to Genkai, "Um… I don't play an instrument. My friend talked me into taking band. So I was wondering if there is anything I could play."

"We always need more tubas," she said with a slight smile, happy to get another tuba player. "I'll go get you one."

About a minute later she came back pushing a case that was almost as big as her. Kiyoshi's eyes doubled in size.

"This is what you'll be playing. Your section will help you out and teach you what you need to know. If you have any questions ask me. The tuba section is over there," she said pointing.

Sango allowed her brown eyes to look at each person in her section. She knew most of them from the previous years.

"I'm Sango, the flute and piccolo section leader. I'm a senior. When you introduce yourselves, please state if you play flute or piccolo."

The flutes and piccolos are as followed: Rydia- 11, piccolo, Relm Arrowny- 9, flute, Aerith Gainsborough- 11, piccolo, Rinoa Heartilly- 9, piccolo, Marle Guardia- 10, flute, Kaoru Kamiya- 12, piccolo, Amiboshi- 10, flute, Akane Tendou- 10, piccolo, Colette Brunel- 9, flute, Momiji Sohma- 9, flute, Tohru Honda- 11, piccolo, Shuichi Shindou- 9, flute.

Sango smiled, they looked like a good group of kids. Her section wasn't too big either, she was thankful for that.

"Was that guy you were yelling at before your boyfriend?" Marle asked. Though she was a sophomore, this was her first year of band. She had gone to this school her freshman year but didn't have the room for band.

"Yes. His name is Miroku. He plays the trombone."

Glenn nervously looked around before heading over to where Genkai had stationed the clarinets. He was glad that Teepo played the clarinet too, or else he wouldn't know anyone. He positioned himself in between Teepo and a dark haired girl he didn't know.

"I'm the clarinet section leader, Arashi Kishu," she announced to the group.

'Well, that answers who she is," Glenn thought to himself. She looked like she was a nice person. Judging that she was section leader, he guessed that she was really good.

"I'm Fuu Hououji, sophomore. I'm the bass clarinet section leader. As we go around introducing ourselves say which you play," she smiled at them all.

"Oh, and I'm a junior," Arashi added.

The clarinet section included: Vincent Valentine (12), Squall Leonhart (10), Janus (12), Glenn (9), Kamui Shirou (10), Miaka Yuuki (10), Kaname Hagiri (9), Tomoyo Daidouji (9), Yugi Motou (10), Teepo (9), Tooya (12), Yuki Sohma (11).

The bass clarinets are: Subaru Sumeragi (10), Syaoran Li (9), Touya (11).

'Wow, there are _a lot_ of saxophones… oh, yeah she put all of the saxes together. It won't be this big,' Locke remembered. "I'm Locke Cole, junior, section leader for alto saxes."

"Cloud Strife, senior, section leader of the tenor saxophones."

" I'm Edgar Roni Figar, senior, bari section leader." Edgar flashed a smile at Locke, causing the younger boy to blush.

Alto saxophones: Trunks Briefs (9), Yuki Tsukisiro (12), Malik Ishtar (10), Hyatt (12), Ryu (11), Nina (10), Lise (11), Eagle Vision (12), Haru Sohma (9), Albel Nox (10), Roy Mustang (12).

Tenor saxophones: Lena Tycoon (9), Norris (10), Goten Son (9), Reno (11), Seto Kaiba (10), Angela (10), Hawk (12), Maria Traydor (12), Eiri Uesugi- a.k.a. Yuki (12).

Baritone saxophones: Yuuto Kigai (12), Fayt Leingod (10), Tamahome (11).

"I'm Seifer Alamasy, a senior, and trumpet section leader."

"I'm Excel! I'm a sophomore!"

Seifer hit his head with his palm. "Shut up Excel," he said already getting annoyed with the hyper girl. He was secretly hoping she wouldn't be coming back this year. Apparently, his wish didn't come true.

The rest of the trumpets are: Cecil Harvey (12), Irvine Kinneas (11), Hotohori (12), Tasuki (11), Inu-Yasha (11), Ukyo Kuonji (10), Lloyd Irving (9), Kyo Sohma (11), Winry Rockbell (9).

"Wow, only two frosh this year. I guess everyone is switching to low brass…" Seifer said to no one in particular.

The rest of the brasses were jumbled into one big group. The section leaders sought out each other so everyone else would know where to look.

"I'm Sorata Arisugawa, the trombone section leader. I'm a senior."

"I am Sheena Fujibayashi, the French Horn section leader. I'm a senior as well."

"I'm Celes Chere, another senior, and the baritone section leader."

"I'm Sabin Figaro, senior, tuba section leader."

"Sorry, I'm late," a blonde said running over to the group. "I was just placed on tuba." Sabin grinned at this and reintroduced himself. "I'm Kiyoshi Mitarai," told them all.

Trombones: Edward Geraldine- a.k.a. Edge (11), Glenn (11), Karsh (10), Miroku (12), Ranma Saotome (10), Shampoo (11), Cless Alvein (9), Riza Hawkeye (11).

French Horns: Terra Branford (11), Yuffie Kisaragi (9), Boton (10), Kagome Higurashi (10), Hikaru Shidou (10).

Baritones: Bartz Klauser (11), Quistis Trepe (11), Seishirou Sakurazuka (12), Shuichi Minamino- a.k.a. Kurama (11), Yuuhi Aogiri (11), Bakura (12), Kouga (12).

Tubas: Zell Dincht (12), Gohan Son (12), Yami (11), Lantis (12), Ryoga Hibiki (10), Ascot (9), Edward Elric (9).

"Alright, if you're all done with your introductions, let's get started. We will begin by introducing the drum majors. Ran, Kefka Palazzo, and Nuriko," Genkai said pointing to each.

The rest of the time went with the first song being passed out, breaking into sections for practice, and combining the group for a run through of the song and pep tunes.

AoM: Gomen! That chapter was so boring. There's only guard left to do though.

Note: Clarinet Glenn is the one from Chrono Cross and Trombone Glenn is from Chrono Trigger. The Touya in Frontline is from Cardcaptor Sakura, Clarinet Tooya is from Ayashi no Ceres, Bass Clarinet Touya is from Yu Yu Hakusho. Clarinet Yuki is from Fruits Basket and alto saxophone Yuki is from Cardcaptor Sakura.

List of Animes/Video Games used in this chapter:

Yu Yu Hakusho, Inu-Yasha, Final Fantasy VII, Tales of Symphonia, Final Fanasy VIII, Final Fantasy IV, Final Fantasy VI, Chrono Trigger, Rurouni Kenshin, Fushigi Yuugi, Ranma 1/2, Fruits Basket, Gravitation, Chrono Cross, Breath of Fire 3, X, Magic Knight Rayearth, Cardcaptor Sakura, Yu-Gi-Oh, Ayashi no Ceres, Dragonball Z/GT, Excel Saga, Seiken Densetsu 3, Star Ocean 3, Fullmetal Alchemist, Final Fantasy V, Kazeni Makase Tsukigake Ran

Chapter title is from Do as Infinity


	4. Dancing Mad

Author's Note: Hi everyone! I'm ghostofeden…AoE's best friend! We're writing this band fic together, and it's finally my turn to write a chapter! So, here goes…enjoy! –_GoE _

Chapter IV: Dancing Mad

"Zees est ze proper way to twirl a flag," Harle said in her thick French accent. The guard captain twirled her deep purple flag in the air as the freshman, Sakura Kinomoto, Shizuka Jounouchi, and Aya Mikage, watched in amazement. Harle, who was exotically dressed as usual (often the victim of dress-codings), gave a small smile as she watched their faces. The sophomores, Selphie Tilmitt, Hokuto Sumeragi, Keiko Yukimura, and Yui Hongo, juniors, Miki, Himura Kenshin, Jin, and seniors, Gogo and Guile, also felt a bit of pride. This season looked promising.

Sakura beamed. "I want to try!" she exclaimed excitedly. She picked up a nearby silver flag and bounced happily over to Harle. Harle appreciated the young girl's enthusiasm, but hoped it wouldn't get in the way later in the season.

"Okay," Harle said, "Place your left 'and 'ere…yes, zat's eet…okay, now, use your wrist – no, zee other 'and…and twirl!" Harle flag soared in a perfect arc, and she caught it with perfect grace and skill. "You try," she said, smiling.

Sakura focused, sticking her tongue out a bit in concentration. '_Left hand…wrist…and…twirl!'_

The flag went flying up wildly in an erratic arc. Harle quickly stepped backwards, as did all the other guard members. Sakura, however was not so fortunate.

WHACK!

"Oww!" Sakura winced in pain as the flag came crashing down on her head.

The room erupted in hysterical laughter, causing the young girl to blush furiously. Harle picked the flag up. "Eet's alright," she said, still smiling, "Eet happens to everybody!" Kenshin smiled warmly at her and spoke in a soft tone of voice, "Don't worry, you'll get it, that you will." Sakura nodded, still embarrassed. Even Gogo's eyes showed mild amusement.

"Zee first thing ve must learn ees ze proper dance technique," Harle said, bringing the group back to focus. "Zee guard instructor, Karen Kasumi, 'as zee routine for ze show…She should be 'ere any minute now." The group idly chatted about their individual summers for a few minutes before Karen arrived.

Karen Kasumi was stunningly beautiful. She was wearing nothing but a ruby red leotard, and her chestnut brown hair was still wet from showering. A small golden cross hung around her neck, and she was carrying her regular clothes in a duffel bag.

"Hello," she said in a rich, almost melodic voice, "My name is Karen Kasumi…I'm the guard instructor." She smiled warmly (A/N: No pun intended!) at the group. Once she had been properly introduced to the new freshman, (and of course told about Sakura's blunder) she pulled out several sheets of pink paper. "This is the dance routine for this year's show," she said, handing one to each member, "We have to have this memorized within a month, so let's get started!" With that, the guard began their stretching exercises.

Meanwhile, Irvine, Edgar, and Sorata had snuck quietly to the side window of the guard practice room, and were watching intently.

"Check out the ass on Ms.Kasumi!" Sorata said, wide-eyed. Edgar stared at Miki, then at Shizuka, then back at Miki, trying to decide which was better. "Damn," he said, as Miki bent over. "_Damn,_" he said as Shizuka did the splits. He sighed, smirking, "Ah, so much beauty, so little time." Irvine watched silently, wondering if Sakura had a boyfriend. The three hormonal boys were so wrapped up in their guard watching that they hadn't noticed the captain gone missing.

"Ah, and vat do ve 'ave 'ere?" The three boys jumped and turned around quickly to find Harle glaring down at them, tapping her foot angrily. "Three _garçons pervertis_, yes?" The guilty trio looked at each other. Edgar asked, "What does _that _mean?"

"Perverted boys!" Harle said angrily, whacking them all in the head with her flag.

"Ouch!"

"Hey!"

"Oof!"

She laughed, and blew them a kiss as she walked away.

"Dream of moi!"

List of Animes/Video Games used in this chapter: Chrono Cross, Final Fantasy 8, Rurouni Kenshin, Fushigi Yuugi, Yu Yu Hakasho, Yu Gi Oh, Ayashi no Ceres, X, Final Fantasy 6; Chapter title from Final Fantasy 6.


	5. I'm Lost Without You

AoM: I finally get to write a bit of angst  The last two characters will be introduced. This does not count Band Boosters or Groupies or other but w/e. I don't think I'll give a full chapter introducing them anyway. Yes, the chemistry teacher is based off a teacher I have.

Chapter V: I'm Lost Without You

A rose slowly fell to the tombstone. Accompanying it came small white gems. It had been a week since the accident. Even after a week the young girl still cried. It was to be expected though. She and her twin brother were on their own now. They didn't have any other family. Their father… who knows what had happened to him. Any other family would be in the Makai, which their mother had fled to save her son's life. If she hadn't left he would have been thrown off the floating island, all because of her mistake. In the end, it was a human that killed her. A human male raped her and then shot her when she had gone out. There was no apparent reason for the murder. Yukina closed her eyes and more gems slipped out. It would seem that she should hate humans after what happened, but she couldn't.

Hiei stood close by, watching his sister. He was saddened by his mother's death, after all it was his fault she had left Demon World. Still, he didn't show it. He would not allow himself to cry. He needed to stay strong for Yukina.

An old woman watched the siblings, waiting for them to finish mourning over the grave. She knew them and their mother; her heart went out to them. Though she, like Hiei, would never show it. She saw Yukina rise and she knew it was time to make her presence known.

"Hiei, Yukina. From now on you'll live with me. Your mother would have wanted that."

"Genkai… Thank you," Yukina said softly.

"You will attend Jigoku No Yo High School where I teach."

"Shut up!" Genkai yelled. All of the students turned to her. "We have two new students. This is Yukina, she plays the flute. And this is Hiei, he plays alto sax."

"Guys, I think I've fallen in love," Kazuma said keeping his eyes on Yukina.

"Yeah, that's what you said about Boton, Rosa, and Colette," Yusuke reminded him.

"Yeah, but this time I'm serious." Normally, he would have started fighting with Yusuke, but he couldn't take his eyes off the green haired girl in the front.

"We'll see," Sano said.

Genkai gave them the hour to prepare themselves for their other classes since she had to get Hiei and Yukina settled in. It was the middle of the first week so they hadn't missed much.

"Hi, I'm Kazuma Kuwabara. I play the 5th bass," he introduced himself to Yukina, trying to impress her.

Yukina smiled and gave an introduction of her own. Hiei glared at Kazuma, but that went unnoticed.

"Oh, band camp is in a week! Don't forget to turn in your forms

"Subaru-kun," Seishirou called making Subaru blush.

"Sei-chan, don't tease Subaru," Hokuto, Subaru's twin sister, said with a grin. She loved teasing Subaru.

"Yes?"

"What are you doing after school today?"

"I have appointments."

Seishirou sighed. He wanted to hang out with Subaru, but the boy always had work. It was hard to woo someone you only saw one to two hours a day, five days a week. He understood Subaru's line of work, Seishirou was in the same field after all. He just tended to work at night. He wouldn't give up though, besides he had Hokuto helping him. He would do anything for Subaru. In fact, he had lost an eye saving him.

The bell rang, signaling for the students to start heading to the second hour class.

"See you guys later," Hokuto waved. Her class was nearby, while Seishirou's and Subaru's were further away. Seishirou was pleased with this; he could walk with Subaru to the next class. That was the only good thing about his schedule. Well, that and band. All of his other classes were away from Subaru and he didn't even get the same lunch period. Seishirou growled at the thought.

"Seishirou?"

"Hm?" 'Oh, he heard me growl out loud,' Seishirou thought. "Nothing, Subaru," he dismissed.

The bass clarinet player looked at him strangely but didn't say anything.

As they reached their classrooms Seishirou sighed again. Now he wouldn't be able to see the younger boy until tomorrow. They both said goodbye and went into their respective classrooms.

Cloud sighed. Chemistry was _so _boring. If you did the slightest thing besides taking notes or listening, the teacher would turn her beady eyes to you and scream obscenities. That was not fun. Cloud had been at the receiving end of that all too many times. Getting on her bad side would result in low grades. There were few people who could get away with almost anything in the class. These were students the teacher actually liked. Cloud, unfortunately, was not one of those people. Bored, Cloud looked around the room, there were few people actually paying attention. Sephiroth was noticeably asleep.

'He wouldn't get in trouble though,' Cloud thought bitterly, 'Stupid Mrs.Leznew.'

Mrs.Leznew's lectures went on seemingly for hours, although when she finished there was about twenty minutes left over to "work" on whatever she told you to.

"Cloud! Which equation would you use with this information?"

"Um… the pressure and volume equation?"

"And what would that be called?"

'Shit,' Cloud mentally cursed. "…I don't know."

Mrs.Leznew smirked, "It's called Boyle's Law. The equation is P1xV1P2xV2. You put this number in for the first pressure…"

Cloud blocked her out again. He really did not like this teacher. He saw Nuriko next to him giving him a sympathetic smile. Cloud just shrugged in return. Mrs.Leznew always did that to him. It was embarrassing, but he was used to it. He wished Vincent was in the class that would make the time seem to go faster. It could have been worse. He could have Professor Hojo like Vincent did. Cloud shuddered at the thought.

"Okay, everyone do the worksheets or outline or lab set-up. I don't want to see anyone goofing off," Mrs.Leznew finally announced.

Cloud glanced at the clock and groaned. There were still ten minutes left. He really didn't want to do any chemistry work so he talked with Nuriko the rest of the hour. After chemistry was lunch, that was always something to look forward to.

Animes/Games used: Yu Yu Hakusho, Final Fantasy IV, Tales of Symphonia, Rurouni Kenshin, X, Final Fantasy VII, Fushigi Yuugi

Chapter title from Blink 182


	6. Fate of Awakening Love

(Author's Note: Hey everyone! GoE here again…I would have put Cloud/Sephiroth in this chapter…but AoM and I 'rock-paper-scissor'ed the pairing…she won, so Cloud/Vincent it is…grumbles Anywho, enjoy! –_GoE_)

Chapter VI – Fate of Awakening Love

Glenn (A/N: Chrono Cross, not Trigger) hugged his mother goodbye. She smiled at him, "Don't worry, sweety…I'm sure you'll make lots of new friends…" Glenn smiled back at her. "I hope so…" With that, he got out of the car with his duffel bag (A/N: What is it with me and duffel bags? Tsk, tsk…) in one hand, and clarinet in the other.

He struggled with the weight of the bag, slowly making his way towards one of the three yellow school buses waiting for him. Other students were milling around, chatting excitedly. The older ones were recalling their band camp stories of days gone by as they loaded their belongings into the underside of the bus.

"Uuurgh…" Glenn panted as he dropped the bag and stopped for a breather. The freshman was noticeably nervous about his first band camp. Questions raced through his mind. '_What if I'm not good enough? What if I don't make any friends? What if I don't get the drill?' _ He resumed his inept waddle for just a few paces before he was halted in his tracks.

"Hey, you need some help?" Glenn looked up to find a taller boy smiling kindly at him. He had long blonde hair, crystal blue eyes, and a very pretty face. _Very_ pretty. Glenn blushed, and looked down. "S-sure," he said, offering the clarinet case to the young man.

"My name's Norris," said the tall thin boy, taking the heavy duffel bag instead. Glenn attempted a smile, still red-faced. "I-I'm Glenn." Norris heaved the bag over his shoulder, still beaming. "That's a nice name," he said.

Once everyone was on the bus, the journey began. Band camp was located up in the high country, amidst lush pine trees and…well, more pine trees. Terra and Locke sat next to one another, as they always did. The two juniors had been best friends for a long time. Although Sabin was Terra's boyfriend, the two had both agreed to sit with their friends for the duration of the ride. Sabin was in back, excitedly telling a group of freshman how he'd caught two burglars single-handed, while his brother, Edgar, rolled his eyes.

Terra poked Locke, who was staring idly out the window. "Hey," she said, "What's wrong?" Locke sighed. "Well…I…" She looked at him, perplexed. "It's okay," she said, "You can tell me anything!" Locke sighed again. "Okay…I…I…have a crush on Edgar…" The 'treasure hunter' blushed furiously, and stared out the window once more. Terra blinked, absorbing this information. "Y-you're gay?" she asked, somewhat astonished. Locke never seemed the type… He looked back at her, shaking his head. "No…I'm bisexual." Terra blinked once more. "Wow," she said. Noticing Locke growing more and more uncomfortable she quickly spoke again. "Not that I think it's a bad thing! That's great! I'm happy for you! I was just…surprised, that's all." Locke had courted a girl named Rachel for quite some time, and Terra thought he had a crush on Celes, if anyone. "I don't think…I don't think Edgar swings that way, though…" She said apologetically, glancing back at the bari sax player, who was, indeed, attempting to charm one of the young freshman piccolo players. Locke sighed for the third time. "I know," he said, staring out the window, "I know…"

Tifa sat next to Cloud, who had promptly fallen asleep several hours ago, his music still blaring through headphones as he snored. She, however was concentrating on a sheet of paper – snare music. She was determined to play the drums – it was her passion. She didn't care that she was only a freshman, or that she would be the only freshman snare – she was _going _to make it.

"One-and two-e-and-a three-and four…" she mouthed silently. Outside, the wind had started to pick up. The forecast called for rain in a couple of days, but it looked like it might hit sooner. "…three-and-a four-e-and…" She was determined to make it. She knew she would…

Glenn sat alone, reading a book for his Honors-level language arts class. Summer reading which he hadn't finished over the summer, as a matter of fact. He sat behind Kain and Cecil, two seniors who were desperately in love. They had looked into each others' eyes and held hands while talking intently about their plans for after high school. They had eventually fallen asleep, Cecil resting his head on Kain's chest, with the blonde boy's arm over the trumpet player. It made Glenn a bit lonely. He couldn't help but think of the cutie who had helped him with his things. '_Norris…that was his name…' _The thought of Glenn's new crush brought a slight smile to his lips, and he wished that Norris was on the same bus…

Finally, the buses pulled into camp. The tired musicians stretched their legs as they got off. The drum majors instructed everyone which cabin they would be sleeping in. Kefka stopped Lloyd, a freshman trumpet player. "You there," he said, motioning the brunette over. Lloyd was chewing gum. "Yeah?" He asked, almost smugly. Kefka narrowed his eyes. He didn't like this kid's attitude. "Spit out your gum." Kefka said coldly. Lloyd spit out his gum and began walking to his cabin.

"Eh _hem,_" Kefka said, grabbing the collar of Lloyd's shirt, and pointing downwards. "There's _sand _on my boots."

Chapter Title: From Inu-Yasha


	7. I am a Dreamer

(Author's Note: GoE yet again! Don't worry, after the next chapter will be back to AoM…This chapter will follow the same characters as last time, for the most part…As always, enjoy! –_GoE_ )

Chapter VII – I am a Dreamer

Once everyone had settled into their cabins, the sun began to set, sinking slowly into the horizon, already past the treeline. The band congregated inside one of the larger wooden buildings, the cafeteria. Dinner had been served – chicken, rice, and a side of vegetables.

Locke, Terra, Sabin and Edgar sat at a table with a few others. Terra and Sabin held hands under the table, and Locke sat next to Edgar, nervously looking over every once in a while. He wished that Edgar would hold his hand…

"Aren't you going to eat anything?" Edgar asked Locke, staring at the almost full plate of food in front of his friend. "Nah, I'm…not really that hungry," Locke said, looking down. "Hm," Edgar said, returning to his food. "Hey, check _her _out," he said, pointing across the room to Rosa, a sophomore who played the vibraphone. Locke inwardly sighed.

'_It's useless…_' he thought, looking at the pretty girl with snowy blonde hair. '_That's what he likes…_'

The silver-haired boy felt alone, even amidst the crowd of people. The florescent lights and dull roar of chatter all around him seemed surreal. He stared at the oak table, deep in thought. He'd always liked Edgar…The blonde boy from a wealthy family had taken pity on his "ruffian" friend, and money would often "mysteriously appear" on the doorstep of the Cole household. They'd been through a lot together, and Locke felt that he had to tell his friend his true feelings before he exploded.

"Locke? _Locke? _LOCKE!" Locke was jolted out of his reverie by Terra, who was urgently poking him. "Locke, look – Genkai is getting ready to make her speech!" Locke looked up to see that their band instructor was standing with her arms behind her back, waiting silently as the noise slowly dissipated. The three drum majors, Kefka, Ran, and Nuriko flanked her side.

"Welcome to band camp!" she announced suddenly, and cheerfully. The cafeteria burst into applause. Every student was smiling – band camp was awesome. She waited a moment for the applause to die away. "The reason we have been such a great band in the past- (the seniors, juniors, and sophomores all beamed) is because of our dedication, our skill, but most of all – our teamwork." Clapping and cheering broke out once again, and gradually died down. "After dinner, you will return to your cabins for a few minutes to get flashlights and sweaters, and then we're all going on a late night hike into the forest – once we reach our location, we will light a bonfire and talk about the season to come. Understood?"

Glenn (A/N: Chrono Cross, not Trigger again) fumbled through his things. The last boy out had just left the cabin, and Glenn was alone, looking for batteries for his flashlight. His face was red, although it was cloaked in darkness.

Not for long.

"BOO!"

"Agh!" Glenn jumped, spinning around quickly. Someone had poked him in the sides. Glenn squinted as a flashlight beam was pointed at his face, which was even more red now.

"You'd better hurry up!" Norris said, laughing, "Or more ghosts might come to get you!" Glenn cursed silently. "S-shut up!" He said, embarrassed. Norris just laughed, aiming the flashlight at the floor. "Is that what you're looking for?" He asked. There, on the ground right next to Glenn's backpack, were two batteries. Glenn snatched them, fumbling to put them inside.

Norris offered a hand to Glenn, smiling. '_He's always smiling…_' Glenn thought to himself. "Come on," Norris said, "We've gotta catch up!" Glenn took Norris' hand. It was…soft, and gentle, yet firm. A chill ran down Glenn's spine as blood rushed to his face yet again. '_That's okay…he has a nice smile…_'

The two boys made their way through the forest, walking quickly, trying to follow the lights far ahead of them. Glenn shivered. It was freezing – he hadn't expected it to get this cold, and wore only a light long-sleeved shirt. Norris led the way, carefully choosing his footing across the rough terrain which was marked by sharp rocks and tangled branches. Glenn struggled to keep up. He sniffled a bit, nose running from the chilly air. Norris stopped abruptly.

"Are you crying?" He asked, genuinely concerned. Glenn laughed. "No, it's just cold, that's all…" "Oh…" Norris said, beginning to turn around again. He hesitated for a moment, slowly facing Glenn.

"Here," he said, taking off his sweater, "You can wear mine." He smiled back at Glenn, who was, of course, blushing furiously. The two eventually reached a clearing in the woods where the rest of the band was gathered around a sizeable bonfire, where Genkai stood with the drum majors. Norris and Glenn sat on a large rock behind Marle and Amiboshi, two sophomore flutists.

Tifa once again sat by Cloud. Some people said they were an "item" – she chose to ignore them. She had her heart set on other things – a place on snareline. She listened intently to Genkai, who had begun another one of her infamous pep talks.

"I've taught at this school for over six years now," she said, her face illuminated in the orange glow of the fire, "And this is, without a doubt, the finest band I have ever had the honor of instructing…" She paused for a moment. "I know we have the potential to make it to State again, and even higher. There is nothing…_nothing _we cannot accomplish." The students were solemnly silent, and the only sounds to be heard in the crisp night air were crickets chirping, and the crackling of the fire. "This year…we say goodbye to our Seniors…" She looked around at the band, particularly at the seniors. The thought of these amazing young men and women brought tears to her eyes. "And…" her voice cracked. "I hate crying…And we say hello to new students, who will help shape this band in years to come." This time she focused on the nervous-looking, hopeful freshmen whose eyes shone with promise. She smiled. '_What a wonderful group…_' she thought to herself.

The drum majors also made their speeches, as well as the section leaders. The last hour had been filled with sorrow for those who would be leaving Jigoku No Yo High School in less than one short year, joy for the good times to come, and good times past. Genkai wiped the tears which had been steadily flowing from her eyes, and spoke once again.

"But enough of that! Band is about having fun, and enjoying life!" A cheer came from the band. "Each year, we have a tradition…the freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors all compete with each other – this year…" Genkai paused for a moment, reaching down to pick up a rope which had been lying on the ground next to her. "…we will have a tug-o-war!" Everyone laughed, their spirits instantly lifted. "The seniors and freshmen will compete with the juniors and sophomores!"

Within minutes, the two sides stood on either end of the rope, gripping it firmly. Kefka and Nuriko smiled menacingly at one another as the head of their teams.

Genkai stood on the sideline with the three instructors, Prometheus, Dekar and Karen. She held up a white flag, borrowed from the guard. "Ready…" The tension on the rope increased ever so slightly.

"GO!"

Both teams strained and struggled on the rope, contending for dominance over the other. Sabin was at the end of the sophomore/junior team, and struggled against the other side, whose tail member was Gohan, also a tuba player.

"Heeaaaaave…HO!" Kefka cried, directing his team. But it was no use. The sophomore/junior team pulled the other side over the line, and the whole band collapsed to the ground, laughing.

The band made their way, in a somewhat single file line back to the cabins, full of cheer, nostalgia, and excitement.

Band camp was going to be phenomenal.

Chapter Title: Cardcaptor Sakura


	8. Could We Start Again, Please

(Author's Note: Ok…last chapter for me, GoE, for a while! If you liked my stuff…check out my other pieces at  or  - Anywho, enough of my shameful self-advertising – enjoy!)

Chapter VIII – Could We Start Again, Please

Lucca was awakened by a pillow being thrown at her face. "Good morning, Lucca!" Marle said happily. Lucca groaned, and merely turned over, using the pillow to cover her face. She was definitely _not _a morning person, and right now, her cheerful blonde friend was nothing more than a nuisance. The bunk beds inside the cabins weren't exactly the most comfortable, and the Frontline (A/N: Also known as "pit") section leader hadn't fallen asleep until sometime around midnight.

"Lucca…" Marle nudged her purple-haired friend, calling her name in a sing-sung voice. "Lucca…" she crooned again. Lucca prompty hit the other girl's face with the pillow.

"Lucca, Lucca, Lucca, Lucca, Lucca, Lucca, Lucca, Lucca!" Marle poked her harder this time, ripping the blanket off of her friend. Lucca jolted upright, before realizing where she was –

WHACK!

"OWW!" Lucca rubbed the already swollen spot on her head where she'd hit the bottom of the top bunk. Marle was laughing hysterically. "Ahahahaha! …That's what you get when you don't listen to me!" She said, practically dancing out of the room.

Lucca moaned and fumbled for her glasses, squinting against the florescent light. It wasn't even sunrise yet – the window to the outside was still black. The skinny mallet player shivered, wearing nothing but a white tank top and sweatpants, and stumbled out of bed, still bleary-eyed.

After breakfast, the band had formed three lines, and were marking time, instruments in hand, waiting for instruction from Genkai. The freshmen were nervously trying to remember the proper way to mark time, glancing down at their feet occasionally. Genkai, however was inside the nearby wooden building, where the instrument cases and Frontline equipment was.

Lucca and the rest of her section were listening to Genkai give them instruction. "You are to practice for the next two to two-and-a-half hours – I want you to work on musicality and drama – If you don't sell it, nobody will buy it. Is that understood?" The section mumbled their affirmative. Genkai nodded, and went outside, closing the door behind her. Her muffled voice could be heard from outside.

"MARK! MARK TIME, MARK…" Faris, the tomboyish first bass marked time on her drum, setting the tempo, keeping pace for the band…And they were gone, off to the field to practice marching drill in addition to music.

Lucca inhaled deeply, turning around to face her section. Touya smiled at her from the second marimba, as did Rosa from the vibraphone. Nataku was staring intently at his music in front of the glockenspiel and chimes, and Aoshi was simply staring out the window, in place behind the timpanis. Shippou and Aki, the two new freshmen, had been placed on xylophone.

"Okay!" Lucca said, "Let's try some warm-ups…" She began teaching the new mallet players their warm-up exercises, while in actuality was really just stalling until Prometheus, the instructor arrived.

At last, the golden robot (A/N: …this is so weird. I love it!) entered the room, with a bundle of sheet music and mallets in his hands. "Greetings, Miss Lucca!" he said in an electronic, yet pleasant voice. "How was your morning?" She smiled. "Could have been better," she said, rubbing the lump on her forehead. Prometheus had actually been repaired by Lucca, and she had programmed him to be a skilled percussionist.

He nodded, "Right then, let's get started! Will everyone please take out the first piece of music, 'The Black Rider?'" The section complied, and soon everyone was ready to go.

"I want to take this slow…" Prometheus said, adjusting a small dial on his arm. _Click! Click! Click! Click! _The built-in metronome was annoyingly loud, and Lucca winced as she took her place behind the first marimba. "One…two…three…four-and!" Prometheus counted off.

What happened next was disastrous. A few off-beat tones rang out, and it was utter confusion for a few moments before everyone eventually gave up, and stared helplessly at Prometheus and Lucca. "Okay…maybe we should try this again…"

Meanwhile, on the marching field, tempers were rising with the temperature. It was a sweltering hot day, especially compared to the previous night and the frigid morning. The noonday sun beat down on the field, where sweaters and water bottles lay discarded on the sidelines.

"No," Genkai said, "No, this is all wrong. _Look_ at your set chart, Sango. Your section is supposed to make a straight line, _not _a curve…" Sango nodded, frustrated with Genkai, her section, and herself. She muttered under her breath, wiping sweat from her brow as she walked back to her section.

"Hey, sweetie," Miroku said from behind her, placing his arms around her waist. "You're so cute when you're ang- OOMPH!" Sango backhanded him and continued walking, hoping she hadn't damaged her piccolo when she smacked Miroku. The trombone player rubbed what was quickly growing into a welt and smiled. '_Ah, she loves me._' He thought to himself.

Some, however, were not so friendly with each other. Zell and Seifer were practically shouting at each other.

"Seifer, this is _my _set flag!" The blonde tuba player said angrily, motioning towards the small marker.

"Well, it's in _my _spot, chicken-wuss," Seifer growled back.

"If I didn't have this tuba on, I'd deck you so hard right now," Zell said, glaring, "I swear." Seifer ignored him.

"You don't have the balls to do that, chicken-wuss." Zell felt a rush of adrenaline.

"That's it, you asshole – you and me, tonight, behind the cabins – come alone!" Seifer smirked.

"Fine, I'll see you then, loser." The two stormed away furiously.

Zell hated Seifer with a passion, and vice-versa. Ever since they were kids in elementary school, Seifer had tormented him. Although he'd never told anyone, it was because of Seifer that Zell had quit trumpet, and started playing the tuba. Something about Zell just pissed Seifer off all the time, and neither boy was going to stand for it anymore…

Genkai called the band to attention, ordering everyone to their places. Break time was over. Tifa stood with the rest of the drumline, although she was not yet an official member. She had to compete with the other snares and take one of their places. She was confident that she could do it, and narrowed her dark brown eyes, standing at attention, completely focused on the music. She watched Kefka wave his arms, signaling the band to begin playing.

"One-and-two-three-a-four-e…urgh…" she was desperately trying to keep up with the other snares, who were playing at a lightning quick tempo, and marching just as fast. The snare harness was pulling on her shoulders, and she could feel blisters forming on her tender skin. She gritted her teeth, and kept trying to stay in step, in formation, no longer concentrating fully on the music. She didn't even realize that her counting was throwing off the rest of the drumline.

She could feel Genkai's eyes on her, observing her, watching her every move, noting how badly she was doing. The band instructor leaned over and whispered in the ear of Dekar, the Drumline instructor, who nodded gravely. Tifa redoubled her efforts, but to no avail, she simply became more and more lost in the music. By the time the song was over, she was yards away from where she should have been, and hadn't played a correct beat since the third measure. She fought back tears of frustration, breathing heavily, and promising herself she _would _do better…She knew she would…

Lucca sighed. It had been almost two hours, and her section was not doing much better. '_How can I turn this group into a Superior-level percussion section…?' _she wondered. It seemed hopeless. Shippou was sleeping contently on the xylophone, and Aoshi was leaning on the timpanis.

"SHIPPOU!" Lucca cried, "Get OFF!" She prodded him with her yellow-tipped mallets, until he fell off on the ground. "Hey!" he said, upset with her, "You didn't have to do _that!_" She glared at Aoshi, who rolled his eyes, sighed, and stopped leaning on the drum heads. Nataku stood with his arms folded, looking out the window. '_Probably wishing he was anywhere else…_' Lucca thought, '_Nobody cares about the Frontline..._' Prometheus shrugged as Lucca shot him a desperate look.

Later that day, just an hour or so before the sun would begin to fall over the horizon, the band had grouped back together in front of the girls' cabins, in a large clearing. Lucca struggled with the marimba, pushing it through the dirt. She felt the eyes of the band on her, as they watched the lone section leader struggle to get the last mallet instrument into place. She breathed heavily, beads of sweat streaming down her face. As she passed by the Drumline, she heard whispers.

"Check out those glasses…"

"I heard she invented a robot to help her with her section…"

"They're not real percussionists."

She turned bright red. She was used to comments like this, but what made it more embarrassing was that Serge, the tall, quiet quad player was watching her. He said nothing, remaining silent.

'_At least he's not making fun of me…_' She thought. She was very frustrated by the time she got the hefty marimba into place, still humiliated… '_I hope it's not like this all season…_'

That night, after dinner, the band members chatted comfortably with one another in the cafeteria. Music was playing, the lights were dimmed, there was good food – good times in general. Chaperones guarded the outside of the cafeteria making sure that no one was up to any mischief.

Zell and Seifer, however had other plans. The two boys had snuck out long ago, to keep their commitment.

Zell cracked his knuckles nervously in anticipation. "I'm going to kick his ass…" he muttered to himself. "I'm going to kick his ass…" He wasn't so confident though, and paced in circles, tugging anxiously on the top button of his black shirt. After what seemed like hours, Seifer emerged out of the darkness, wearing a white hoodie, and his usual black gloves. He didn't wear his usual smirk. Zell swallowed hard. He knew Seifer meant business.

"Let's settle this once and for all," Sefier said coldly, his icy blue eyes narrowing, locking on to Zell's deep blue eyes. Zell didn't have a chance to respond – Seifer rushed him, delivering a sharp blow to Zell's jaw. Zell staggered back, momentarily disoriented. Seifer tried to strike again, but Zell quickly dodged, grabbing Seifer and hurling him to the ground. Seifer quickly staggered up, and punched Zell in the face. Zell felt his vision quickly blur, and become clouded with blood. His forehead was bleeding, a line of crimson running down the side of his face. Seifer took advantage of this, slamming Zell into a nearby tree trunk. Zell couldn't move. He moaned, too dazed to pull away.

Seifer's eyes flashed, burning with cold hatred. "You little shit," he said, holding Zell's throat against the tree. He kept Zell pinned and forced the two boys' faces together. Zell's eyes went wide.

'_What the hell!' _was the only thought Zell had time to think before Seifer's tongue forced it's way through his lips. Through the pain, Zell felt the slightest twinge of pleasure. He closed his eyes and allowed Seifer to abuse him for just a second before finding the strength to pull away.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing!" he demanded, taking labored breaths. Seifer glared at him, but the fury had gone out of his eyes. "Do you know why I always pick on you, chicken-wuss?" Seifer said, almost angrily. Zell glared back, looking Seifer in the eye.

"Because you're an asshole?" Zell spat back.

"No," Seifer said coldly, "Because…I love you." He said it forcefully, as though it pained him to say the words.

Zell was absolutely stunned. His eyes darted back and forth, searching Seifer's expression.

"Are you _joking_?" Zell asked, "What the hell do you think you're playing at!"

"Nothing!" Seifer bellowed at first, causing the shorter boy to jump. "…nothing," he mumbled this time. Zell was silent once more, looking at the ground, still pinned up against the tree, rather uncomfortably.

"Look, if you tell anyone – _anyone_," Seifer said, shoving Zell into the tree even harder, "I'll murder you. I swear it." Zell placed his hand on Seifer's wrist, trying to pull away.

Seifer refused to let up, holding Zell to the tree.

"Wait," he said. Zell felt humiliated, confused…everything, all at once.

"What do you want?" Zell asked, wanting to be anywhere else right now. He figured Seifer was just playing one of his stupid mind games.

"Do you…you know…" Seifer struggled to find the words, refusing to meet Zell's eyes.

Zell's heart skipped a beat. '_He's not…pretending?_' Zell thought to himself.

Seifer waited a moment as the other blonde said nothing. He sighed, and let Zell go. He turned away, walking back to the cabin, head down.

"Wait," Zell said. He grabbed Seifer's hand, pulling him back. Seifer just looked at him. Zell had never seen this side of him before…his eyes were filled with tears, and almost pleaded with the other boy.

Seifer turned around to face Zell, who hadn't let go of his hand. Zell put his other hand, shaking nervously, around Seifer's waist, like a small child petting a ferocious animal. A single tear ran down Seifer's cheek, and he leaned down to kiss Zell once again. This time, his entry was not forced, and instead met by Zell's tongue. The two kissed and simply held each other in one another's arms for quite some time, until the sounds of the distant party faded away, and the last light in the cabin turned off.

"Well, I guess we should head back…" Zell said, looking back at the cabins. "Yeah…" Seifer said. The two walked in silence, still holding hands. "I guess I made a new friend," Zell said, smiling at Seifer.

"That's _boy_friend to you, chicken-wuss."

Chapter title from Jesus Christ Superstar.


	9. Under the Sun

AoM: Hello, I'm back and writing this chapter.

Chapter IX: Under the Sun

Ranma stealthily walked over to Ryoga's bed and grinned deviously when he saw the boy still asleep. Quickly, he uncapped his water bottle and dumped it onto the sleeping boy.

"Ahhhh!" Ryoga screamed. "Ranma, I'm going to kill you!"

"Shut up," Kouga murmured from his bed, where he was still curled up half asleep.

Ranma looked from the fuming Ryoga to Kouga.

"You're going to have to get up soon anyway," Ranma pointed out.

"I have a few more minutes…"

From above Kouga, Crono slept on. He was so used to his mom attempting to get him up that he was immune to the obstreperous activity. On the other side of the room were Reno, who was covering his ears, and Malik. Malik sighed and slipped out of bed. He wasn't sure how the others did it but he would not be able to sleep any longer because of the noise.

"I'll get you later, Ranma," Ryoga glared. He wasn't quite ready to leave the comfort of his bed.

Ranma laughed, "Come on, get ready. I'm hungry."

"…Don't wanna."

"You'll get lost if you don't."

Ryoga knew he was defeated, so he pushed himself out of the bed to get ready.

"Get with your section and work on the music and marching," Genkai ordered.

Sango let the flute and piccolo section over to a shady area near the forest.

"Everyone get into three lines," she waited for them to complete the task before continuing, "Okay, we'll do the marching pattern that was taught yesterday. It works on most of the marching styles, the most frequently used ones. Mark time, mark and one two three four! One, two, three, four, one, two-"

Colette flailed her arms trying to regain her balance. Without dropping her flute, she fell on her butt. This was nothing new; the freshman was already known to be very clumsy. She fell many times the day before and before band camp had even started. Amiboshi was the first to head over to her. He extended his arm and helped the blonde girl to her feet.

"Thank you," she smiled.

"Alright, everyone back in your lines. We'll try it again. Mark time, mark and one two three four! One, two, three, four, one, two, three, four, one two three, four, one, two, three, four," Sango sighed. The section wasn't staying together. "Keep your lines straight!"

As they were marching backwards, Relm took too large of steps and went diagonal, running into Aerith. Both girls fell to the grass below.

'The section is so uncoordinated,' Sango thought. "Let's get warmed up. B flat major scale, one, two, ready go. Akane, you're playing an octave too high!" she told the girl. Sango flinched as they hit high B flat, it was so out of tune. "All of you will need to buy tuners. You'll need them for concert season anyway," she instructed. Sango hoped that she would be able to shape the section up before the first competition.

The other sections weren't having much luck either (although, they were better off than the flute/piccolos).

Seifer couldn't seem to get his section to pay attention. Excel was bouncing off the walls, talking to everyone. She even decided to hug Kyo, knowing exactly what would happen if she did. The two freshmen looked at the orange cat in amazement. Inu-Yasha and Tasuki looked like they were getting ready to spar, Hotohori was brushing his hair, Ukyo was watching Inu-Yasha and Tasuki, Irvine was staring at girls in other sections, and Cecil looked as if he was in his own world. Seifer sighed. He had no clue on how to get all of them to listen. Maybe if he permanently removed Excel… he shook his head. That wouldn't work. He already tried it last year and failed. The girl was resilient. She was like a parasite that he couldn't exterminate. He glanced back over to his section. Was that freshman girl taking her trumpet apart!

"What are you doing!"

"Taking my trumpet apart."

"I can see that, but why?"

She shrugged, "I'm bored. Besides, I can easily put it back together."

"Okay, fix your trumpet. Cecil, Irvine, pay attention. Hotohori stop brushing your hair! Inu-Yasha, Tasuki cut it out! Excel… just stop whatever it is you're doing," Seifer snapped. "Take your mouthpieces and we'll start warm ups." The section groaned but did as they were instructed. Seifer noticed Irvine's eyes begin to wander. "Irvine!" Irvine jumped and settled his eyes on Ukyo, who promptly put her trumpet down and slapped the older boy. 'This is getting nowhere,' Seifer thought to himself. "Alright, let's just start marching drills," silently he prayed that sectional time would soon be over and Genkai and the drum majors would take over.

When Genkai and the drum majors did take over, Seifer looked as if he was ready to explode or kill someone. Most likely the latter.

"Today, we'll begin by learning the five sets of the opener. If you get those down quickly, we'll go on, but I doubt that. Section leaders, you need to come claim your set charts," Genkai instructed. "Set the first three and we'll go from there."

Locke looked at the set chart. The first set looked simple, the section was close together. 'I should place the freshmen in between more experienced marchers.' "Roy, I need you to set saxes eight through thirteen. I'll set one through seven."

"Is everyone ready to go on?" Genkai asked after about ten minutes.

"I have two more," Arashi called out from the other side of the field.

"Almost!"

Genkai nodded, "Five more minutes."

After a grueling three hours, numerous falls (most of them on Colette's part), tons of wrong notes, missed flags, and the sun beating down on them Genkai told them they had half an hour until lunch. The large group sighed in relief.

"Gah, I have those few measures stuck in my head now!" Umi complained.

"I think we all do after that," Fuu replied.

"It doesn't help that Tifa was totally off. Her counting was so loud it was throwing the rest of us off."

"She's new and nervous give her a break." Umi sighed, she wasn't sure how much more she could take.

Hiei flopped onto his bed. He cringed as he heard the grating voice of one of his roommates ascending the stairs.

"I'm going to talk to her today, Yusuke!"

"Yeah, yeah. Just do it already."

"Hey, shrimp," Kazuma greeted as he entered the room.

Hiei just hn-ed in response. How did he get stuck in a room with a buffoon? The others weren't so bad though.

"Why is everyone in this room so small?" Kazuma wondered to himself. The others sharing the room were Shippou, Mog, and-

"I am not short!" an indignant shout came through the door.

"Okay, whatever."

Ed continued glaring at Kazuma.

"Oh! It's almost time for lunch! Come on shorties!"

"What did you call me!" Ed chased Kazuma out of the cabin. Shippou and Hiei sweatdropped when they heard a scream from outside that sounded an awful like Kazuma's.

"Kupo!"

Hiei took a seat towards the back of the cafeteria.

"Hi, is this seat taken?" Hiei looked up to see a redhead smiling at him. He shook his head and the other sat down. "Are you going to eat?"

Hiei shrugged, "Maybe, when the line goes down." They both looked to see the line continuing out the doorway.

Kurama laughed, "I guess you're right. I'm Kurama by the way." He said extending his hand."

Hiei looked skeptically at the hand before taking it, "Hiei." Kurama smiled. Hiei felt himself slightly blush and quickly shook his head trying to get rid of it.

"Hey, onii-chan," Yukina said taking the seat across from Hiei.

"Yukina!" Kazuma called running over to her, somehow managing not to drop his food. Hiei groaned.

"Hi, Kazuma," Yukina said sweetly.

After everyone got settled in, Genkai stood to talk. "Alright, after lunch is a ten minute break followed by a team building activity. For this activity you will be given a randomly selected partner. I explain the rest later."

Chapter Title from Do as Infinity


End file.
